Jul

Occurring on July 28th every year, the campaign aims to raise global awareness of the infectious disease hepatitis and to encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year – as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.

The elimination of viral hepatitis has now been firmly put on the map. At the 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva, 194 governments adopted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which includes a goal of eliminating hepatitis B and C in the next 13 years. The community responded by launching NOhep, the first ever global movement to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

Below are infographics detailing finding from the Global Hepatitis Report 2017 and a short video from the World Health Organisation (WHO):

With the availability of effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, the elimination of viral hepatitis is achievable, but greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is a must, as is access to cheaper diagnostics and treatment.

World Hepatitis Day presents an ideal opportunity to join together and raise the profile of viral hepatitis among the public, the world’s media and on the global health agenda.

This year people are being encouraged to #ShowYourFace on social media for World Hepatitis Day and show others that you are doing your bit towards elimination. For further details of how you can get involved, please visit the World Hepatitis Day website.